Countless hours are spent preparing a project heifer or steer for show day.

Early mornings and late nights are consumed washing, feeding, clipping and practicing. All of that work accumulates for ‘5 minutes of fame’ – the brief time when an animal walks into the ring and gets a chance to impress the judge. After a few laps around the ring, exhibitors get a chance to display their animal’s side profile, then animals are pulled in, placed and the class is over.

When all is said and done, exhibitors and their projects have only been in the ring for a few short minutes, even in large, competitive classes. How can exhibitors make the most of those few minutes, while the judge contemplates his or her decision? How can they make sure their animals are presented to perfection during that time, giving the judge the best look possible?

Honor^® Show Chow^® Ambassadors Dave Allan, Bob May and Kirk Stierwalt have had decades of combined show industry experience and all have had the opportunity to judge showmanship on a regular basis.

Now, they are sharing their top five showmanship tips based on their expertise and experience to help exhibitors and their projects excel in the ring:

1. Teach cattle manners.
“Cattle need to know the cues and fundamentals to be shown properly in the showring,” says Stierwalt. “It’s hard to win, even if you have a good calf, if you can’t get it set up.”

Practicing at home and in various environments is critical. The only way for an animal to learn cues and get comfortable showing is to practice. Practicing in variable environments – whether that be indoor or outdoor, individually or with a group, with background noise or without – can help prepare your animal for a situation they might encounter in the showring.

2. Know your animal.
“Not all cattle are set up the same,” says Stierwalt. “You need to know what your calf looks like from a judge’s point-of-view to show them with the best result.”

For some exhibitors it may come naturally to correct flaws with their project, while for others it may take some time to see what the judge sees in the showring. While one animal may need it’s head held a bit higher, another might need it’s back touched down just a bit more. Practicing both on the halter and off, can help exhibitors identify flaws and learn how best to correct those flaws in the ring.

3. Walk into a staggered position.
One of Dave Allan’s top tips is learning how to walk your cattle into a staggered position to minimize showstick use for feet placement.

“Practice at home by taking the last several steps, switch hands while walking backwards looking at the back feet, and walk them into staggered position,” says Allan. “By doing so, most of the time you’ll only have to move the left front foot. You’ll be set up quickly and avoid a lot of time spent on unnecessary shuffling of the feet.”

Allan adds that learning the in’s and out’s of halter pressure will help when the need does arise to shuffle feet.

4. Set, and don’t forget.
Both Allan and May emphasize that while many parents tell their kids to watch the judge and smile, too often young exhibitors end up staring the judge down and disregarding presentation of their animal.

“Exhibitors spend months preparing for a show. To be competitive you need to watch your animal. First and foremost you need to get them set up, then look for the judge,” says May.

Allan adds, “You need to know where the judge is to correctly set your animal up and watch for cues to get pulled, but priority should be on making sure your animal is set up properly.”

5. Never be late. 
Whether the class is showmanship or the animal’s actual class, May advises exhibitors to always be on time. Be aware of how quickly classes are going, keep a close watch on the showring as your class approaches and be ready to enter the ring once the previous class is in.

If a judge has to wait for a late arrival or is already in the midst of placing the class, exhibitors late to the ring often won’t get the look they worked hard to receive.

An exhibitor may have a potential class-winning animal, but if not properly presented and fed, that animal may not rise to the top. Practicing and perfecting showmanship skills are critical for giving the judge the best look on show day, as is a high-quality plane of nutrition.

For more showring tips join the online community of show enthusiasts at www.facebook.com/HonorShowChow or at www.twitter.com/HonorShowChow.

Article Attributed to Purina Animal Nutrition

November Garden Tips

This is the perfect time to plant your chilled bulbs for spring. They should be in the ground before the first frost, so plant now while the soil is still easy to work. Iris, daylilies and gladiolas should also be planted at this time, although they are not “true” bulbs, but rhizomes, tubers and corms, respectively. Yet all of these like bulbs require the cooler soil of winter to generate healthy new growth in spring.

Transform your landscape with the addition of fresh, colorful blooms! Pansies are by far the most popular Winter color. The “Matrix” Pansy has been outstanding for our Texas weather. It will not “stretch” during bouts of warm temperatures and is bred to grow out, not up. This compact grower offers shorter stems to support large colorful blooms. Dianthus (also known as “Pinks”), Snapdragons, Cyclamen, Violas and the fragrant Alyssum are also good choices for cold tolerant annuals. Ornamental Cabbage and Kale provide interesting texture in the landscape as well as color. For best effect, limit your planting to two or three colors per bed.

The key to growing beautiful annual flowers is soil preparation. Remember to add 2 to 3 inches of mulch to all beds to reduce moisture loss, prevent weeds from germinating, and to insulate the soil from the cold.

Using the same colorful annuals will add a splash of color to your patio containers. Fill your container with fresh potting soil, plant food and your choice of these beautiful annuals to brighten your winter. Keep them watered as necessary and remove faded flowers to encourage repeat blooming.

If you want those beautiful Texas Bluebonnets in the Spring, sow the seed in early November!

Please remember the birds! Texas is a haven for birds. No other state in the United States has more species within its boundaries. There are currently over 620 species documented in Texas, which is almost 75 percent of all bird species recorded in the continental United States. To attract the widest variety of wild birds, you should consider placing a wide variety of bird feeders and food around your yard.

Have you ever wondered what goes through a chicken’s mind?
Wouldn’t it be helpful if they could say, “My feathers are itchy!” or “I’m bored!”? Though humans and hens don’t speak the same language, simple changes can help backyard flock conversations go smoothly.

As backyard flock owners, we are tasked with becoming chicken whisperers. Keeping a peaceful flock requires us to interpret behaviors to decipher what our chickens are telling us.

During fall and winter when chickens are spending more time in the coop, chicken boredom can bring out changes in behavior, such as pecking.

Chickens are naturally inquisitive, but they don’t have arms and hands to inspect things. They use their beaks to explore instead. Pecking is a natural chicken behavior that allows them to check out their surroundings, including their flock mates.

Though pecking is a natural occurrence, the nature of this chicken pecking behavior can change when birds spend more time inside.

Understanding the difference between curious and aggressive chicken pecking is key to knowing when there is a problem. Not all pecking is bad. When it is gentle, this behavior is fun to watch. If pecking becomes aggressive, it can be problematic to other birds in the flock.

Three tips to keep a peaceful backyard flock:

1. Investigate the reason for pecking.
If the pecking chickens become aggressive, the first tip is to determine if something is causing birds to act out.

Start with a list of questions about the environment: Are the hens too crowded? Do they ever run out of feed or water? Are they too hot or cold? Is there a predator in the area? Is there something outside of the coop that is causing them to be stressed?

After the stressor has been identified, the next step is easy: remove the problem and the aggressive chicken pecking behavior may go away or diminish.

To maintain this newfound peace, make sure your birds have a minimum of 4 square feet indoors and 10 square feet outdoors per bird. Adequate feeder and waterer space is also critical.

If a new hen is added to the flock, there may be a period of uneasiness.

Remember, there will always be some dominance in the flock as part of the pecking order. There are typically one or two boss hens who rule the roost. Once the pecking order is determined, the birds usually live together peacefully.

2. Chickens take baths, too.
The next step to prevent feather picking is to keep birds clean. Chickens take a different type of bath than you might expect. They often dig a shallow hole, loosen up all the dirt and then cover themselves in it.

This process is called a dust bath. Dust bathing is an instinct that helps keep birds clean. On our farm, we make dust baths for our hens by following these three steps: 1. Find a container at least 12 inches deep, 15 inches wide and 24 inches long; 2. Combine an equal blend of sand, wood ash and natural soil; 3. Watch your birds roll around in the bath and clean themselves.

Dust baths can also prevent external parasites such as mites and lice. If external parasites are an issue, supplement your chicken dust baths with a cup or two of food-grade diatomaceous earth.

If you add diatomaceous earth, be sure to mix it in well. Diatomaceous earth can be harmful if inhaled in large amounts. By mixing the diatomaceous earth into the dust bath, it has less probability to become airborne while still helping prevent external parasites.

3. Offer an alternative place for birds to peck.
Next, provide birds something to keep their minds busy. Perhaps the most fun of these three tips is to find chicken toys that bring out their natural instincts.

Interactive objects can make the coop more complex and exciting. Logs, sturdy branches or chicken swings are a few flock favorites. These toys provide unique retreats for hens who may be lower in the pecking order.

Another flock boredom-buster is a block for hens to peck, like the Purina^® Flock Block^™. You can simply place this block in the coop for hens to peck. The block can be a fun experience for hens and prevent chicken boredom when they are spending more time in the coop.

The Purina^® Flock Block^™ encourages natural pecking instincts. It also contains whole grains, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and oyster shell to provide nutrients that contribute to the hen’s well-being.

Want to find a Purina^® Flock Block^™ of your own? Find a retail location near you.

Article Attributed to Purina Mills and Dr. Patrick Biggs